The public and policymakers alike were caught off guard when Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast of the US last fall. But the majority of the destruction came from the storm surge and flooding that followed the storm.

If someone said “climate refuge” to you, what would come to mind? More than likely, the image of someone from a small tropical island in the Pacific, or of a low-lying delta like in Bangladesh – places where residents have been forced out of their homes by sea-level rise.

The sea levels all around the world are rising. Current sea-level rise has the potential to affect human populations and the natural environment.
Two key factors have contributed to the observed sea level rise. The first is thermal expansion: as the ocean water warms, it expands. The second is from the influence of land-based ice because of increased melting. The major store of water on land is found in the glaciers and the ice sheets.
The rising of sea levels is one of several lines of...